Earliest meeting: April 1729
Final meeting: Thursday 20th April 1826
The Bedfordshire village of Woburn, 5 miles south east of Milton Keynes, is best known for Woburn Abbey, founded by Cistercian monks in 1145. The ‘County History of Bedfordshire’ recorded that a meeting was held at ‘Woobourn’ in 1729, when it staged one of the earliest Selling Races held in England. The main race on that early card was a 20 Guineas Selling Race with the winner being offered for 40 Guineas if demanded, while the other race was a 30 Guineas Plate with the condition that if only one horse entered then his owner had to pay 10 Guineas to the prize money for next year’s Plate. Given that the conditions for neither of these races was particularly appealing, it is not surprising that no more races were held in Woburn until 1739, and even then it was only a 10 Guineas Match. Almost a century later the Sporting Magazine of 1826 recorded the two day Woburn Hunt meeting held on the Woburn Estate in April in Bedfordshire. On Wednesday 19th April 1826 the Woburn Hunters Stakes was won by Mr Owenson’s Rambler, while the Woburn 4 year old Stakes went to Captain Wyndham’s Tender. The final days racing took place on Thursday 20th April 1826 when the Woburn Handicap Plate was won by Mr Brownlow’s Musician. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 1 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| The Sporting Magazine of 1826 records the two day Woburn Hunt meeting held on the Woburn Estate in April in Bedfordshire. |
| Local Patrons |
Captain Wyndham |
| Principal Races |
Woburn Hunters Stakes, Handicap Plate |
Wednesday 19th April 1826 |
Woburn Four Year Old Stakes over 2 miles
1. Tender owned by Captain Wyndham
Woburn Hunters Stakes over 2 miles
1. Rambler owned by Mr Owenson
2. Sylph owned by Mr Barnet
3. Fidget owned by Mr Goodison |
Thursday 20th April 1826 |
Woburn Handicap Plate
1. Musician owned by Mr Brownlow |
| The final meeting took place on Thursday 20th April 1826. |
| Course today |
On the Woburn Estate. |
| If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com |
Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-
London Illustrated News
Racing Illustrated 1895-1899
The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated
Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough
The Sporting Magazine
A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8
Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727 |
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ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3
652 pages
774 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0
352 pages
400 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7
180 pages
140 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4
264 pages
235 former courses |
| Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent. |
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